Beards
by Fruity-Fruit-Cups
Summary: AkuRoku, Larxiné. They had the perfect relationship - too bad it was all a lie. And like all lies, eventually, the truth will come out.
1. How It Should Be

Beard - someone who dates someone of the opposite sex to cover up their sexuality. Also commonly referred to as a 'cover story.' Is usually a gay male who dates a close female friend, but can also apply to the gender-flipped equivalent.

**/**

They were the perfect couple. The kind that was so perfect, it was unrealistic – the kind of couple that was immortalized forever in the movies.

They had been neighbors since childhood; two adorable kids who had been inseparable from the moment they first met. When high school came around, and he finally confessed his true feelings for her, everyone had seen it coming from a mile away.

Too bad they – they, all of the passerbys and general acquaintances and even their parents – didn't know it was all a lie.

Their relationship, their supposed romantic love, was nothing but a farce.

Roxas thought that it would end once they got out of high school. With the peer pressure gone, she had no reason to stay with him, right?

Naminé was smart, to say the least – in fact, she graduated as a valedictorian. He fully expected her to leave everyone behind, and accept the full ride to Radiant Garden University to further her education and become someone powerful and important – a business woman, maybe, or a lawyer...no, she wouldn't make a very good lawyer.

And yet, here he was, standing at his register in Twilight Town's lone supermarket, reading the text she sent him.

_Please buy some eggs so Kairi can make cake! :)_

The charade still continued on. The only difference was that, now, two more people were in on it.

_K. Be home soon. :D_

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

Roxas wasn't fond of using emoticons (actually, he wasn't really fond of texting in the first place), but he knew that she always smiled whenever he used them. And if it was for Naminé, he'd do anything.

If he had to describe Twilight Town using only one word, it would be sleepy. While the town was beautiful, and it featured a sunset that was even lovelier than one on the beach, it was never bustling with activity. The town itself was fairly small, but since it was built in the suburbs of one of the biggest cities in the country, there were cozy, quaint shops and attractions that gave the town at least a little bit of personality.

Even if all of the residents lived like they were in a constant state of drowsiness.

Despite that, the town never felt empty. Small, yes, and far from bustling, but never empty.

However, in any other town, the supermarket would always be full of people, regardless of the hour. Especially in the late afternoon, when everyone was starting to get off work.

But Twilight Town wasn't just any town, and that translated to the supermarket being almost empty. While that fact made Roxas's job really simple, it also made it really boring. Even though he was the only cashier on duty (Xion, the other cashier and his other housemate, had today off), the flow of people was so little that he had spent a good majority of the day standing at his register playing stupid little games on his phone.

One of the biggest life lessons his job had taught him was how fun Bejeweled could be when you had nothing better to do.

Thanks to the magic of that _amazing_ little game, Roxas somehow managed to avoid dying from boredom by the time his shift ended. He made sure to pick up the eggs – along with a few other things they needed around the house – and 'closed' the store for the night. Granted, all he had to do was flip the sign in the main window from open to closed, but it was still part of his job. There were still other people in the store, but they usually spent the next few hours cleaning, restocking items, and...

...actually, Roxas wasn't entirely sure what they did after he left. Then again, he didn't really care.

The walk home, like normal, was uneventful. Their house was only a short 10 minute walk away from the store, and between himself and his three housemates, they only shared one car. Naminé worked at the local flower shop, which she could walk to, leaving Kairi with control of the car.

Unlike them, Kairi actually attended the community college in Hollow Bastion, plus she co-hosted a radio show on campus.

When Roxas arrived at the front door, he simply twisted the knob, no key necessary. One of the good things about such a sleepy town was that crime was practically nonexistent, and so most people left their houses unlocked.

"I'm home!" He shouted, kicking off his shoes and placing them by the front door, right next to the two (he noticed Xion's shoes were missing – he'd have to ask where she went off to ) other pairs of shoes. Xion insisted on never wearing shoes inside the house, so they wouldn't track dirt in. Nobody really seemed to mind – it just translated into them having to clean the floors less often.

"Welcome home!" Naminé walked out of the kitchen, her hands covered in a light dusting of flour. That didn't stop her from throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. He gladly returned the gesture. She stepped back, gently resting her hands on his shoulders as her eyes traveled down to the bags in his hands.

Her mouth formed a small 'o'. "You got more than just eggs," she observed simply, giving him a curious, questioning look. "Why?"

"We were almost out of a few things." He replied just as simply, the blonde girl trotting at his side as he entered the kitchen.

Kairi was at the stove, lazily stirring the contents of a large pot. Roxas leaned around, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever she was making. One of her favorite things to do was make each night's dinner a surprise (she was the best cook in the house, loved to do it), much to Roxas's chagrin.

She glanced at him over her shoulder, confusion quickly turning to joy as she noticed the bags he set on the counter. "You got coffee, right?" She asked, excitement lacing every single word. He nodded, and her face lit up even brighter. "Oh, good! I used the last of it this morning!"

"And I got French Vanilla creamer, since I know you love it." He said, pulling out the container with a triumphant grin. Kairi nearly squealed in joy, and abandoned the food, leaving Naminé to take her place as the red-haired girl threw her arms around Roxas.

"Roxas, you're the best!" She laughed, and released him, stealing the carton of eggs from the bag and placing it by the lone bowl of flour on the counter. He gave a sheepish grin, slightly uncomfortable with all of the compliments. He was used to the hugs, since Kairi was a very affectionate person and Naminé usually greeted him with a hug and a peck on the cheek out of habit, but he didn't get compliments often.

As Kairi cracked an egg and spilled its contents into the bowl, her smile morphed into a more impish one. "Now, put that stuff away, Roxy," she teased, giggling, "or else you'll have to watch RENT with me and Nami tonight."

"Don't call me that!" He snapped instantly, giving her a glare. She burst into even louder giggles, and even Naminé couldn't help but add a few almost-silent giggles as well. Roxas could tell she was laughing – the way her shoulders shook even though her head was turned away from him was a dead giveaway.

Ever since the girls managed to get him to watch Chicago with them one day, they had all decided it was a good idea to nickname Roxas Roxy. And so they called him that. All of the time.

He had always liked his last name before he had seen that movie – Hart was simple, and it fit him well enough. Now...well, he was kind of nervous about telling his full name to girls. Especially girls who sang, or who were into musical theater.

He hated show tunes, though. Not just Chicago – he had never liked musicals in general, but his deep seated loathing of Chicago was special.

He put away the last of the things, and discarded the bags when it finally clicked. "Wait, so you mean Xion's not coming back tonight?" He asked. "Doesn't she usually watch those dumb movies with you?"

"She'll be out with Demyx and Zexion for most of the night, so it's just the three of us. Kind of like old times, right?" Naminé asked, her voice light and clear as usual. She had a specific lilt to her voice when she was happy – slightly watery, like a creek lazily running over the rocks.

"Did she tell you where she was going?" Kairi asked, her voice slightly tense and wary.

Naminé shook her head. "No. Just that she was going out."

Kairi's shoulders slumped in disappointment, and a large frown crossed her features. She always tried to get closer to Xion, but the girl always kept a wall up around her, one that Kairi couldn't get past.

So, in an attempt to lighten the mood, Roxas decided to make a joke. "Just me and the famous Ayella sisters tonight..." Except he'd be in his room, wasting the night away on his sexy, shiny new laptop. Kairi had helped him buy it when his old one broke a few months back, but he never asked why – she just said that she had some extra money lying around, and he believed her. After all, her radio show payed her well enough.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence before long, one that they were all used to. Roxas leaned up against the counter, Kairi continued to pour ingredient after ingredient into the mixing bowl, and Naminé continued to...stir the mystery contents of the pot.

Finally, it was broken by Kairi. "How does vanilla cake sound tonight? Or does chocolate sound better?" She asked, a small pout on her lips. "Ooor..." she added, hesitantly, "should I try for red velvet? I've never made it before, so I don't know how well it'll turn out."

Roxas hummed in response, at least attempting to put on a facade of caring. He knew the question was directed more towards Naminé, the sweet tooth of the house. He didn't really care one way or the other, to be honest. Cake was cake.

After another brief pause, Naminé spoke. "...try for red velvet," she answered. "You're a great cook. You can do it," she said gently. "I'm sure of it."

Kairi brightened up, and she turned back to her bowl, a new found determined smile on her lips. "You're right. I can do it!" She rummaged through the cabinets, adding a few final ingredients to the mix.

Roxas couldn't help but laugh. She was making such a big deal out of cake.

Just the way he wanted it to be.

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

After dinner (beef stew; why hadn't he thought of that earlier?) and the required slice of cake, Roxas curled up with his laptop on the couch. The girls had finished watching RENT a long time ago, enabling him to leave his room and slink back down to the living room and claim the couch for himself.

He didn't usually do much, just checked his e-mail and went on some random websites to read random things. He had finally caught up with one of his favorite webcomics, and was now at a loss over what to do next.

Then, somewhere, in the corner of his mind, a small voice told him to check his Facebook. He didn't like the website too much, and had only made a profile on a whim. He hadn't been very close with many people in high school, but after he friended his housemates, requests poured into his inbox.

Some of the people he vaguely recognized, but he never remembered actually talking to most of them. He accepted them anyways, out of apathy more than anything. He didn't go on it enough to care in the first place.

He signed in, only barely remembering the password combination he made up for it. Just as he was accepting more friend requests from people he barely knew and dismissing all of the stupid requests to play Mafia Wars and Farmville and Happy Pets, he heard the door open.

His eyes darted briefly down to the clock on the bright screen – 2 A.M., it read – and then to the door. He watched as Xion kicked off her shoes and stepped into the living room, almost jumping in fright when she noticed him watching her.

It took her longer than usual to recover, but when she did, he patted the edge of the couch, scooting his legs closer to himself to let her sit down. She stayed on the very edge of the furniture, as far away as she could possibly get. Her eyes were darting around, looking at anywhere but him.

There were very visible tear tracks running down her cheeks, and the skin around her eyes was still slightly red and puffy. The usual medium blue of her irises, while always slightly cloudy with something that he could never identify, were darker somehow. Like the clouds had hovered over the light, blocking it out.

He could tell that she had been crying. Hard.

"Xion, are you-" Roxas was cut off by the black haired girl, rapidly shaking her head.

"-don't." She begged, hints of desperation coming through. Her eyes didn't move from their spot on her lap. "Please."

Roxas wasn't good with comforting people at all. So, he did the next best thing he could; he made a joke. "I didn't think you'd be home this late." He said blandly, hoping that she would catch onto it. "Did you go clubbing?"

She smirked at his attempt of a joke. They both knew how much Zexion hated people, and he once said that he'd rather die than go out to some place full of sweaty, horny, drunk idiots. Then again, Xion shared the same views, leaving Demyx as the only one of the trio who would ever want to go clubbing.

"Yeah. We went clubbing, but we had to leave when Demyx tried to stick his tongue down the bartender's throat," she said, playing along with him. Her eyes were starting to lighten back to their usual hue.

"You don't seem very hammered. Lemme guess – you were the designated driver again?"

"Yep." They both laughed, and Roxas couldn't help but glance over. There were bags under her eyes, faint, but noticeable, just like the dried stream of tears. She had been up for a while now, and she'd feel terrible at work tomorrow if she didn't get some sleep.

"Go get some sleep, Xion. Don't you have to work tomorrow?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Shouldn't I be saying the same to you?" She asked back.

He shrugged; she was right, after all. "Yeah. How about this – if you go to sleep, I will too. Deal?"

She considered the possibility for a moment, but then gave him a curt nod. "Alright, but if I find out you lied to me and stayed up for another two hours, tomorrow isn't going to be very fun." She gave him a small smile that concealed her true intentions, and waved. "Night, Roxas." As she climbed up the stairs, he bit the bottom of his lip, trying to figure out if she was just joking or not.

She constantly kept a wall up, and while he could get further past it than most people, he had never broken it all down. Sometimes he wondered what, or who, it would take to finally get past all of her barriers and see the real, unguarded Xion inside.

He looked back down at the screen, and noticed something had changed – a small box had popped up in the bottom corner of the screen.

_Aw, it's my favorite cousin!_

Larxene, he realized. He hadn't talked to her in a while. She had finally gotten her big acting break, and had spent the last few months...somewhere, shooting...some movie.

With a small smirk, Roxas imagined her talking to him in the teasing, childish tone she always used. Like she was constantly making fun of him. He had gotten used to it, once he learned that she talked to everyone who was under 25 like that.

_I'm your only cousin, Larx._ He typed back, fingers gliding over the keys.

_That's why you're my favorite._

_Don't I feel special. _After a few moments, another thought came to his head, and he quickly typed it out before she responded. _So, what do you want? You would just call me if it was really important._

_What, I can't try to have a decent, normal conversation with my family?_

He paused, debating about what to type. _...at 2 in the morning?_

_Maybe it's not 2 in the morning where I am. Maybe it's 7 or 8. You don't know._

_But is it 2 in the morning?_

_...maybe. Your point?_

They continued on with the pointless back and forth banter for a little while longer, until finally the clock read 3. If Xion found out he had stayed up so late, she'd be pissed...but this time, he did have an excuse.

Larxene was a good excuse, whether she knew it or not.

He yawned, suddenly realizing how tired he really was. Might as well get to sleep, he figured, and not completely die in the morning.

_Hey, I'm gonna get off. Tired._

_Wait!_ The reply was instant, and he obeyed it, idly tapping his fingers on the keyboard as he waited for her to explain herself.

_I'm gonna need a place to crash at for a few nights. Mind if I stay with you?_

_Sure, if you don't mind my housemates._

_You mean you're not living with your parents anymore? You're finally becoming a man! I'm so proud of you._

Roxas rolled his eyes._ Yeah, I moved out. I doubt they'd mind if you stayed here, but don't you have money for a hotel or something?_

Another question nagged at his mind, but he didn't want to ask her. Why did she pick Twilight Town, of all places, to go to? She had only visited a few times before, and she never seemed to like the town all that much. Quiet and sleepy weren't two of Larxene's favorite adjectives.

_I think it'd be a good time for us to catch up. And no, I don't mind sleeping on the couch. I'll be rich and famous soon enough, and a few nights on some dingy old couch won't kill me._

He bit his lip. He didn't care, and he doubted the girls would, but at the same time he didn't want to make any rash decisions.

Besides, he was getting really tired.

_Idk right now. I'll have to call you tomorrow for a final answer, alright? Night._

He waited for her to type 'night' back to shut the laptop off. Once she did, he set it down on the table and headed up the stairs to the room that he and Naminé shared. He carefully opened the door, leaving it open a crack so a small bit of light could get through, allowing him to see.

He changed quickly, throwing his clothes in the hamper and quietly shutting the door before crawling into bed, submerged in darkness. He could hear the girl's soft breathing next to him, steady and even.

When Xion moved in, Roxas didn't mind giving up his room to share the master bedroom with Naminé. Kairi had volunteered, but nobody really cared either way. When it came down to it, Naminé asked Roxas to stay with her, since it would help cover anything up in case they had people staying over.

The room was always slightly colder than he liked, and in response, he pulled up the blankets higher up and snuggled against Naminé's slender back. She was smaller than him, but she was always warm. He got cold easily, and he always appreciated a warm body.

It didn't take long for him to drift off into sleep, lulled by the steady pattern of his best friend's breathing.

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

"Roxas, time to get up. You have work in an hour." Naminé said, gently pushing his shoulder back and forth. He opened a single eye, watching the morning light seep into the white room.

However, sleep was the much more favorable option, and he pulled the blanket over his head. "Five more minutes..." he mumbled, voice thick with sleep.

That didn't work, sadly enough, as Naminé pulled the blanket off of him with a small laugh. "Oh no you don't." He grumbled, and pulled his pillow over his head, but once he did, she snatched _that_ away from him as well.

"Ugh, Nam...why can't I just sleep in?" He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. "Five minutes won't hurt."

"Because then you'll want five more minutes after that, and five more minutes after that." She replied simply.

He groaned, now awake enough to realize that she was right. Besides, he was too awake (though still not coherent and functioning – no, not until he had his coffee) to fall back asleep.

Naminé had won again, it seemed.

"Alright...fine." He got up, letting her hand him his work clothes before stumbling over to the bathroom to take his morning shower. He finished, got changed, and headed down to the kitchen.

Kairi, Naminé, and Xion (also dressed in her work clothes) sat at the table, busily eating their own breakfasts. He the chair at the far end, and snatched a few pancakes off of the large serving plate in the center. After they had been thoroughly drowned in blueberry syrup, he began to scarf them down.

Kairi made the best pancakes, and Smuckers made the best blueberry syrup. It was a combination made in heaven.

He tuned out of Naminé and Xion's conversation, focusing entirely on his pancake. By the time the first one was gone, though, Roxas remembered his conversation with Larxene the night before.

It'd be the perfect time to tell them about it, since they were all there. "Hey, guys, my cousin's going to be in town for a while. Mind if she stays here?" He asked.

Kairi spoke up first. "I don't, but where is she gonna sleep at?" She asked anxiously.

Panic flashed briefly across Naminé's eyes, and her grip on her silverware tightened until her knuckles turned white. Roxas gave her a small, comforting smile, hoping that she would understand that it'd be okay.

_Larxene would never have to know,_ he tried to silently tell her. She nodded, numbly, and returned to her pancakes without a word.

"She wouldn't mind sleeping on the couch," Roxas finally said, glancing over at the red-haired girl. She never gave Naminé a single glance, so he guessed he was the only one who noticed her reaction.

"She doesn't?" Xion asked, thoughtfully tapping her chin. "I don't mind if she stays with us, I guess."

"Are you sure?" Kairi asked worriedly, stabbing her pancake with her fork. "I'll give up my bed if I need to. I don't mind sleeping on the couch."

"Nah." Roxas dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "You don't have to. Larxene can be a bitch, but she's not a spoiled brat."

"Larxene...?" Naminé said slowly, testing out the name on her tongue. She tilted her head, and closed her eyes. "It's a pretty name." She concluded.

"If she's a bitch, then do you even like her?" Kairi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You get used to her after a while." Roxas said, shrugging. "As long as you don't let her words get to you, you'll get along fine."

"I think it'll be fun," Naminé smiled softly. She was met with three pairs of eyes, all sharing the same confused look, and her smile grew. "She sounds a little like my friend Marluxia."

"You mean your fruit of a boss?" Xion asked, stifling a small laugh. Roxas chuckled – for crying out loud, the man owned a flower shop, and he had long pink hair. Everything about him screamed 'fruit.'

Naminé's eyes flashed a darker shade of blue for a moment, and Roxas could tell that she was slightly offended. Marluxia _was_ her friend, after all, fruit or not. She hid the look under another smile, though, and nobody but him caught on to her mask. "Yes, him."

"When she gets here, maybe we should introduce them!" Kairi suggested. Naminé nodded, apparently liking the idea.

Roxas, meanwhile, shifted uneasily in his seat. While Larxene wouldn't butt heads with Naminé, she might trample all over the poor girl given the chance.

Which led him to the next question – if Marluxia was apparently like Larxene, then what kind of people did sweet, innocent little Naminé talk to?

The possibilities scared him.

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

"So, can I stay with you or not?" Larxene's impatient voice came through the other end of Roxas's cellphone, coming loud and clear through the tiny speakers. He had...well, put her on speaker, so on their walk to work Xion could understand a little about his cousin.

"Yeah. Nobody minds." He said, glancing over to the girl next to him. She was staring at the phone, dark eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He decided against asking her about it, though – she usually didn't give an answer when someone asked her a question.

"Good. I'll be there..." She paused, and he heard the faint sound of things being thrown around in the background, standing out harshly against the peaceful silence of the town around him. "...tonight."

"So soon?"

"You got a problem with it?" She teased, a biting tone in her voice. When she wanted to, Larxene could bite – hard. But there was a slight difference to this bite. It was more of a playful nip than a harsh bite.

"Maybe." He replied, smirking. Xion huffed in amusement, but stayed silent.

"Oh, you little lair. Telling me that I can only to go back and say that I can't." She laughed. "You're a true Hart."

They stopped in front of the suprmarket. Xion nudged him gently, and he got what she was trying to say. "Sorry Larx, but I have to go. Can't talk on the phone at work."

He heard the frown in her voice. "Oh, fine. I'll text you when I'm about to leave, but I should be there around 6. See ya." She hung up, and Roxas put his phone to sleep and he slipped it into his pocket.

Xion walked in first, making sure to change the small sign to open. Every other store had some fancy neon sign, and yet here they were, the only supermarket in town, still using a small old-fashioned flip sign.

Maybe the town was simply too drowsy to want to upgrade into the modern era.

Thankfully, days when he and Xion shared a shift went by much faster than usual. The traffic was as slow as normal, but whenever a customer or one of their superiors weren't lurking around, he'd sneak over to her register, sit down on the small counter where the paper bags were, and chat.

Roxas wasn't one for wasting words, but neither was Xion. It was a normal occurrence for them to fall into silence, broken only when one of them voiced a stray thought.

Once or twice, the resident hardass and assistant manager, a blue-haired man named Saix, would walk by. Whenever he did, Roxas would dart back to his register, and at least make it look like he was doing something more productive than staring at the ceiling. Usually that translated to him breaking stray change rolls, and when he glanced over to Xion, he saw her doing the same thing.

The second he was out of view, Roxas would drop the charade and go back to his friend.

As long as they didn't get caught, they'd be fine. If they did get caught, then...

...well, he had only met their boss, Xemnas, a few times, but stories and rumors constantly went around about the man. His favorites were that he ate puppies and believed that the moon was really a god. (Xigbar, one of the higher ups, had a habit of making up weird stories. He was interesting, but a bit crazy. Roxas usually tried to stay away from him.)

Still, the saner members warned Roxas and Xion against ever getting of the boss's bad side, and they listened.

Their shift finally ended, and they both left at the same time. The sun had already set, leaving the last rays of twilight to light up the sky, dying it orange and blue. Roxas looked up, and watched as a cloud lazily rolled by.

He snickered quietly. Even the weather matched the mood of the town.

"Tomorrow's Saturday - your day off. What are you planning on doing?" Xion asked, casting a sideways glance at the blond.

He shrugged. "The usual. Have Kairi drag me out somewhere to hang out with her friends." Kairi didn't host her radio show on the weekends, nor did she have any classes.

And as for Roxas...well, his only real friends were his housemates. Unlike Kairi, he wasn't exactly the most social person.

That didn't stop her from dragging him out to meet new people. He didn't like most of her friends, but there was one group he was okay with. A trio of people he had talked to once or twice in high school – Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Olette and Pence were pretty cool, but Hayner was kind of a dick. As long as he wasn't being a total showoff, Roxas could deal with him.

Which meant that Kairi would probably gather them all together tomorrow.

Xion giggled softly. "Sounds fun. If you really don't want to, why don't you just stay with Naminé?"

"She has work tomorrow." He pointed out. "Did you forget?"

Xion's eyes widened, and she looked away in embarrassment. "Uh...yeah. Oops."

Roxas shrugged halfheartedly, and the pair fell into another silence. He expected it to last the rest of the way home, but after a few moments, Xion spoke again.

Her voice was hushed and low, and her eyes constantly darted about, checking for others. "Roxas...are you happy like this?"

"What do you mean?" He questioned back, loud and piercing compared to her's.

Her voice quieted down to a whisper. "You know...being in your..." she paused, struggling for the right word, "...relationship with Naminé."

Ah. So that's why she was being so quiet. His voice dropped to the same level as hers, but his reply was even and level. Emotionless. "It's what I have to do."

"But are you happy?" Her eyes narrowed, yet they shone with concern.

He shrugged again. His happiness wasn't really something he had bothered to think about. "I'm...content."

"Even if you end up dragging this on for four more years? Would you still be content after ten?" She wasn't trying to bother him, or rile him up. She wasn't even upset. Just genuinely curious.

"If it meant protecting Naminé, then yeah."

Xion bit her lip, struggling to find a reply. She abandoned the idea, and they sank into another silence.

He returned his gaze up to the sky, and watched the lone cloud, purple and orange, slowly meander its way through the air.

Sleepy and slow, just like the town.

Just like his life.

And honestly, he liked it that way.

**/**

I have a lot of stories to finish, and yet here I am, starting another one. Oh, me. xD Except this one is actually going to be a shipping fic, among other things. :3 But really, it's just an excuse so I can finally write some romance.

Yes, there are major Namixas moments...everywhere. It's part of the story. Just grin and bear it, kay? Even if you don't like the pairing. Hell, I've never been able to write decent Namixas. They're cute together, but I don't know how to mesh their personalities. D: Grr.

The relationship between Roxas and Naminé is...difficult to explain. Just how far it goes...well, that's where that lovely saying "show, don't tell" comes in. And yes, this fic is paced fairly slowly. I want it to be that way, though. This isn't some action thriller where buildings explode and there are attractive women needing to be saved. As Roxas would say, it's sleepy, kind of like the town itself.

And no, AkuRoku and Larxiné will not be the only pairings included in this fic. Some will be more prominent than others, but I think I have a good idea of who is going with who. And yay yuri. You know what the KH fandom doesn't have enough of? Yuri. It needs moar.

Also I find this funny because here I am, a straight girl, complaining about the lack of yuri. I'm not into the smut (ew I'm not into the smut period) but romance is romance, no matter what gender. :3 I hope you liked this beginning, and reviews are always appreciated. Granted, since this offends both the het shippers AND a good chunk of the yaoi fans who hate yuri, I doubt I'll get any! LOL :D Admit it - most of you clicked on the title just because you were all "lolwtf why is it called beards?"

I should shut up now. So I will. Long A/N is long enough.


	2. This Time, I'll Be

Naminé looked up at the large, pastel pink and green words standing out of the top of the small building, right above the door: Pansies, and Not the Sissy Kind, advertised in large, funky print. The colors were muted, but the style itself (along with the large window, decorated with exotic flowers of all varieties) were enough to make the small shop stand out in the crowded street.

She opened the small, glass door, smiling at the gentle, soothing chiming of the bells above her head. Marluxia was certainly a man with good taste in décor.

Marluxia was by the counter, placing a few daisies in the clear, crystalline vase on the counter. He glanced over to the girl and gave her a small nod, but prodded at the flowers until they stood up the way he wanted them to.

"Good morning, Marluxia." The blonde girl greeted, stepping behind the counter and into the back room. She set her bag down on the table – a white purse with a single lily decorating the front. Marluxia had bought it for her when she first started working for him – and started to rummage through it. She pulled out her water bottle and uncapped it, bringing it up to her lips.

The bells chimed again, and she nearly jumped in shock at the sudden sound disrupting the silence. Luckily, none of her water spilled on her white dress, and she capped the bottle before creeping out of the back room to see who had come in.

She peeked around the door frame, concealing herself from the customer's view, though it didn't limit her view of the customer.

A _very_ tall man, taller than even Marluxia himself, sauntered into the shop, smiling at everything with a cocky grin, as if he owned the place. He stopped at the counter and leaned down on the counter, looking up at Marluxia with that same grin plastered on his face.

Naminé narrowed her eyes. She had seen his type before. Shady, suave, young business men, sent out to snatch away stores from dedicated owners. They had seen several lurk around their shop, especially since they were located in the middle of Twilight Town's shopping district, and they got a fair amount of business.

"It's so nice to see you again, Marluxia. I see you finally got that shop you always wanted," he said, flicking a small bit of soil off of the counter and onto the floor. His jade green eyes, softer than she expected, traveled around the shop.

Naminé's glare softened. Once she got a decent look at his eyes, she realized that he wasn't there to buy the shop. That smugness she had saw wasn't that – it wasn't that at all. It was more like...pride.

"I had to do some..." Marluxia paused. _"Unpleasant_ favors, but I did manage to get it. I even have an assistant."

Naminé felt her cheeks heat up at her boss's tone. He spoke of her so highly. Really, she didn't deserve it. Marluxia was the one who had made it so successful; she just helped around the store when he needed her to.

"Naminé!" He called out, looking over his shoulder. Surprise flashed briefly in his eyes, but it disappeared, leaving only a warm glint in his light blue irises. "I'd like you to meet an old friend of mine."

Naminé nodded, and stepped out of her hiding place. She clasped her hands behind her back, feeling a tiny bit shy as the man examined her. "H-hello," she murmured, giving him a tiny smile.

He laughed suddenly, almost uproariously, and Marluxia sent him a glare to try to quiet him. "I should have expected you to get a little girl to work at your shop!" He wiped a few invisible tears from his eyes and gave the pink-haired man a large, goofy grin, as if Naminé working there was the funniest thing in the world.

Naminé looked away, unclasping her hands to grab the hem of her dress. "Um, sir? I'm not a little girl. I'm 19."

"Oh." He grew quiet, the change just as sudden as his laughter had been. His eyes widened, and his hand shot into the bright red spikes jutting out from the back of his head. "Sorry. You just look like you're 14."

Naminé blinked in confusion. Not because of his misconception of her age – no, she got that a lot. What was confusing her was his sudden shift in mood.

Marluxia picked up on her confusion and leaned down, whispering in her ear, "he's only 18 himself. Just graduated high school a few months ago. He has a sore spot about his age."

"I heard that." The man (boy? She wondered what to consider him as, since he was a year younger than her) muttered darkly. "Yeah, I know, I look older than I really am. Hell, I've been able to buy alcohol before."

Marluxia sighed. "You're not buying that alcohol for yourself, are you?" He raised a single pink eyebrow, eyes narrowing dangerously.

The redhead shook his head. "Nah, just for my dumbshit of a brother."

Naminé watched them bicker back and forth. Clearly, they had been friends for a while, and they were still close. She felt a little out of place, since the man was a complete stranger to her. She had known Marluxia for years, and yet she had never once seen this man before.

"Anyways, why are you here, Axel?" Marluxia asked. "You have no reason to come to Twilight Town."

_Ah._ So that was why Naminé didn't know him – in a town as small as Twilight Town, everyone knew everyone else. It was hard to find a face that wasn't familiar. Marluxia had lived in Twilight Town since she had met him, but he and his family frequently went out on vacations all across the country.

Once...he told her about the time he went to Radiant Garden. He said it was the most beautiful city he had ever been to – sprawling green meadows, and sparkling buildings decorated in art unlike anything he had ever seen it before.

She shook her head, trying to clear away the thoughts crowding in her head, banishing both them and the longing in the pit of her stomach of leave.

It only made sense that Marluxia had met him somewhere else, away from this small town.

He shrugged, turning around to look at the various flowers scattered about the shop. "I'm an adult now – gotta get out of my folk's house, right?"

"How are you going to pay for it?" Naminé asked, secretly wincing at how her voice sounded. It was so scared and small, like she was a lost child, asking some stranger for help. She didn't like it.

"They're loaded," he said, shrugging again. "They don't mind giving me some cash and kicking me out." He laughed. "They already did it to my brother a few years back."

Marluxia hummed in agreement. "But why Twilight Town? Why don't you stay in Hollow Bastion?"

He flicked his head back to gape at Marluxia. "Are you kidding me! I hate that shithole!"

Naminé frowned. He had such a nasty mouth...fitting, for someone who was friends with Marluxia.

"What's so bad about Hollow Bastion?" She asked softly. "I've been there a few times. It's not that bad."

Axel smirked deviously. "It's not that bad if you don't live there. If you do, then you see everything about the place. And trust me," he said, leaning in closer to her, the smirk never leaving his face, "it's not a good place for sweet little girls like you to live in. They'd rip a cute little thing like you to shreds."

The blonde girl backed away, trying to muster up a glare to hide her embarrassment. It fell short, though, when he threw his head back and laughed.

"Oh, she's funny. I like her," he said, giving her a wink.

Marluxia sighed, shaking his head. "Axel, please don't flirt with my employees." He paused, and amended his statement. "Or, better yet, please don't flirt with anyone. Ever."

Axel pouted, green eyes glowing with mock offense. "Oh, Marly. Always so mean to me."

Marluxia simply rolled his eyes in response. "Axel, are you almost done here? I can't waste my day away talking to you."

"Alright, alright. I know when I'm not wanted. One last question, okay?"

Marluxia nodded, gesturing for him to continue.

"What's this town like? I mean, it looks like this place is always asleep." Axel pointed out.

Naminé blinked, slightly confused. Huh. That's the same thing Roxas always said about the town.

Maybe they'd get along together. Kairi was always going on about how Roxas needed to befriend more people – maybe Naminé could help with that.

"Um, well," Naminé began, slightly surprised at the fact that she was talking again. She usually didn't talk to random people unless they directly asked her a question or unless she needed something. For the most part, Axel was talking to Marluxia. "I've lived here all of my life. It's...sleepy, but nice. It's homey, and safe."

That's what Twilight town was to Naminé. Cozy and safe, like being wrapped up in a big, fluffy blanket on a cold winter night while the fire crackled and roared, defying the frozen will of the earth.

Axel nodded thoughtfully, the gears in his mind coming to life, flashing beneath his eyes. "Hm...that's what I thought. Good." He got up from off of the counter, and headed towards the door, throwing it open and making the bells sing his departure. "See you around, Marly." He threw a wave to the pink-haired man, and let his eyes drift down to Naminé. "And you too, blondie."

Somehow, Naminé felt like he was making a promise to come back.

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

"C'mon, Roxas! Don't be a wimp! Just go!" Hayner shouted, shoving a skateboard into the blond boy's arms.

Kairi watched nearby, sighing. All of that pleading just to get Roxas to come with her and not just sit on the couch and watch old comedies from the 80's all day, only to have Hayner erupt into one of his moods again.

"Hayner," Olette said, gently resting her hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, "don't be so upset. If Roxas doesn't want to, then don't make him."

He batted her hand away, and she retreated back to Kairi's side. Pence stood by her, looking increasingly worried, but making no move to stop Hayner.

"Dude, stop." Roxas said, giving him an icy glare. "I haven't skateboarded since I was a Junior in high school – I'm gonna wipe out if I try any tricks."

Hayner snorted. "Yeah, right! Riding a skateboard is the same as riding a bike. Once you learn, you can't forget. Just go up there and do a few tricks!"

"What part of 'I'm going to wipe out' do you not understand? Besides, I don't want to." Roxas growled back.

Yeah...this was exactly what Kairi was afraid of happening. Hayner wasn't backing down, and Roxas was being a huge jerk about the whole thing.

Hayner groaned, smacking his face with his hand. "You're not going to wipe out! Just do an easier trick or something!"

"Sorry, Kairi." Olette muttered quietly, staring down at the concrete beneath their feet. "I didn't think Hayner would act so...standoffish."

"Oh, it's alright. I just hope Roxas doesn't get too mad," Kairi said, biting her lip. They were the only friends of hers who Roxas (kind of) got along with, and if he got into a massive fight with Hayner, than he wouldn't want anything to do with them after this.

Well...mostly Hayner, but Hayner was the leader of their little trio, and Pence and Olette would go wherever he went. They'd probably still talk, but without Hayner around, it just wasn't as fun.

And Roxas could get over a fight much easier than he could get over a boring day.

"Hayner, drop it." Roxas narrowed his eyes, sending a silent threat. "I'm not going to do it. Period."

Hayner's jaw dropped, but he shook his head and glared at the other blond defiantly. "Roxas, I can't believe you're just gonna wimp out like that."

"You're being stupid. I'll break a leg or something if I try doing the stupid shit you're telling me to!"

"Nah, I think you're just being a..." He paused, an evil grin coming over his lips. "...chicken wuss."

Roxas's face flared scarlet, and Kairi could practically see the steam erupting out of his ears.

The others around her gasped. They all knew where Hayner had gotten the insult from; one of the worst bullies in high school, Seifer Amalsy. He was the biggest jerk Kairi had ever met, and he was damn proud of that fact.

One of his favorite targets was Roxas, and chicken-wuss was his favorite insult for the blond. Thankfully, Seifer disappeared after high school (he was probably sent to jail...or maybe he joined the military like he constantly said he was going to do), but bringing up the insult was still a sore spot for Roxas.

Roxas's fists clenched at his sides, barely containing his rage. "_What..._did you just call me?"

Hayner sneered. "Chicken wuss."

"Hayner, stop!" Olette commanded, grabbing her boyfriend's arm and dragging him away. "You're being a jerk."

"Yeah man, lighten up." Pence chimed in, sending a sympathetic look over his shoulder to Roxas. "Sorry, Rox. Maybe you should just go."

Kairi nodded numbly, biting her lip. "Y-yeah. We should. Come on, Roxas." She gave Roxas a gentle nudge, but he refused to move, standing his ground and glaring at Hayner with all of his being.

She pushed a little harder, and when he still didn't move, she resorted to grabbing his shoulders and shoving him away from the skate park and back to their car. He shot the other blond one final glare before submitting to Kairi and letting her drag him back.

Once they got in the car, Kairi pulled out her cell phone to check the time. It was only four, which meant that neither Naminé or Xion would be home yet.

Well...the two of them could always hang out. Might as well use the last few hours they had out doing something fun.

She looked over and Roxas, who had folded his arms and stared out the window like a pissy teenager. She stifled a giggle. "Hey, Roxas," she said, tapping his shoulder, "sorry about that. I didn't think Hayner would be such a..."

"Douche?" Roxas offered bitterly. "Dickhead?"

Kairi couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. Those."

"It wasn't your fault, so don't be sorry," he replied, still staring out of the window.

"If you want, I could always make it up to you. We could go see a movie or something. I'll pay for the tickets." She did bring extra money for what was supposed to be all of their food, but it could also function as movie money. She could even buy a few snacks, too.

That got Roxas to turn his attention away from the window and towards the auburn-haired girl. A small smirk came to his lips, lighting up his eyes. "Hm...there are a few movies out that I've been wanting to see..."

"Perfect!" Kairi started up her car, and pulled out of the parking lot. "Let's go!"

It didn't take very long for Roxas's phone to start buzzing. Puzzled, he pulled it out of his pocket, before quietly cursing to himself.

"What's the matter?" Kairi asked, glancing over to him. He was quickly texting in a reply to whatever he had gotten, and only started to speak once he put his phone back to sleep.

"That was my cousin. She's going to be here at seven, and she needed the address."

Kairi smiled. "Seven? Oh great, we'll all be able to meet her! I can't wait!"

Roxas chuckled. "I thought you'd say that, Kai."

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

Larxene pulled into her cousin's driveway right when the clock hit 7:10. Heh, she was always told that, as an upcoming starlet, she should get used to showing up fashionably late.

But fuck that. She hated being late, and she hated the people who did it just to be 'fashionable.' Unless you had an excuse, you should _never_ be late to anything.

Of course, she did have an excuse. She stayed the night in some dingy Hollow Bastion motel, and the traffic going out of the town was simply horrible.

She slammed her car door shut (some busted up old jeep she'd had since she was 16) and pulled her luggage out of the backseat, carrying it up to the front door.

The house that her cousin lived him fit him; it wasn't all that flashy, just some weird shade of orange with a brown roof. It was a standard two-story house, only slightly different than all of the ones around it. If she hadn't been actively looking for it, she would have simply drove by it without ever giving it a second thought.

Larxene stepped into the doorway, finding herself locked into a sudden problem. Her hands were full, and she was unable to ring the doorbell...what to do?

Why, kick the door until someone answers, of course! With a feral grin, she sent her foot flying against the door, resulting in a loud thump. She did it a few more times for good measure, and only stopped when she heard footsteps and confused shouting.

Roxas opened the door a few minutes later, wariness and mild confusion turning into surprise. "Oh!" The emotion drained from his face. "Took you long enough, Larx," he deadpanned, taking a few pieces of luggage from her. She didn't mind much – the annoying bastard was doing it only to mess with her.

She followed him inside, and dumped her stuff on the couch, flopping down next to the pile of crap. Two girls – his housemates, she suspected – crowded around her, regarding her curiously. The redhead stepped closer, beaming, while the black-haired one stayed where she was on the chair.

"It's so nice to meet you!" The redhead said, extending her hand out. Larxene took it and shook it roughly. "I'm -ow- Kairi, one of Roxas's housemates."

The blonde grinned. "I'm sure you've heard _all_ about me. I _am_ his favorite cousin, after all."

"You're my only cousin," Roxas pointed out.

"Uh, actually," the black-haired girl piped up, still not moving, "we haven't heard anything about you. I'm Xion, by the way. What's your name?"

Larxene looked over at her cousin in mock hurt. "Aww, you didn't even tell them my name? No wonder you have you no friends." Roxas looked away, slightly embarrassed. With the damage done, Larxene looked back to the two girls. "I'm Larxene, by the way."

They all froze at the sound of a door being flung open. Rapid footsteps filled the silence, and a girl ran down the stairs, panting. "I'm sorry," she breathed, face flushed, "but I had to do something."

Larxene's eyes widened, and she tried not to gape.

Why the fuck did Roxas, of all people, get to live with an angel and not her?

Seriously. _Goddamn_, if that wasn't Larxene's type, then nothing was. Short, skinny, with light blonde hair? _Yes please._

And those eyes. Dear _god_, those eyes. They were a light blue, watery and slightly cloudy – like the sky right before it rained.

The girl froze as well, once she met Larxene's gaze.

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

Naminé froze in place, unable to look away from the woman's eyes. They were the brightest green she had ever seen, and they were so big and so expressive. She looked at Naminé with surprise, and it was like she was shooting lightning at the smaller girl. She could feel it, racing up and down her spine, making every single nerve in her body tingle.

Her legs turned to jelly, and she shakily got off the stairs, unable to tear her gaze away. Her heart thumped in her chest, racing so fast and so hard she felt it's steady beat in her ears.

She recognized this feeling. The sudden nervousness, the sparks racing through her body, how her stomach did back flips as it filled up with butterflies. The urge, the small voice screaming in the back of her head to fling herself at this woman.

She had felt it before, except this was one hundred times more intense than last time.

This wasn't good. At_ all._

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

Roxas looked in-between Larxene and Naminé, slightly confused. Both Kairi and Xion were just as confused as he was, and the three of them watched as Naminé made her way over to Roxas, getting paler after each and every second, her eyes never leaving his cousin's.

Naminé managed to get to his side, and rested her arms on him, using him as a pillar of support. She managed to tear her gaze away, and looked up at him, eyes full of fear and apprehension. She looked so small at that moment – so fragile, like a paper doll being buffeted by the wind. Her lip trembled, and she looked like she was going to burst into tears at any moment.

Roxas's eyes widened in response. "Oh god..." he murmured, staring down at the floor.

Her breathing was unsteady, and she took one final, ragged step forward, throwing her arms around his neck and crashing their lips together. She leaned into him, and if she weighed just a little more, she would have sent him to the floor.

Roxas was -sort of- used to it. He automatically wrapped his arms around her waist, and kissed her back.

He could tell how scared she was – the way she desperately kissed him, pressing into him with all of her being, and how she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to block the rest of the world out.

She finally pulled away, but stood close enough to him so their bodies still touched. She wasn't fully leaning into him, and she was stiff as a board, but he could feel it – her need for support. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it, trying to put on his best fake smile.

Roxas swallowed. "And this," he gestured to Naminé, who was trying her best not to tremble, "is my girlfriend Naminé."

Larxene nodded curtly. "Nice to meet you." She said, forcing the words out and clipping her voice until it was completely emotionless.

Kairi clapped her hands loudly, drawing the attention to herself. Both Roxas and Naminé slumped down in relief. "Larxene, come with me. You're going to be staying in my room for now, so let me show you where it is."

She grabbed a few pieces of luggage. "Xion, help me with a bit of this?" She sent a pleading glance over to the black-haired girl, who silently agreed, taking the last of the luggage and leading Larxene up the stairs.

As they left, Roxas made a mental note to thank them. They must have caught on, too, and distracted Larxene so they could be alone. He hoped that Larxene didn't suspect anything – if she did, that would spell disaster.

Once they were out of sight, Naminé let go of his hand, stumbling over to the couch. She sat down, taking deep, ragged breaths as she buried her face in her hands.

"That...that was nothing." She murmured. "Yes, nothing." She repeated, trying to convince herself.

Roxas sat down next to her, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. He wanted to protest so badly, and tell her that it was okay, but he knew better. He had tried before...and if it didn't work then, it still wouldn't work now. She hadn't changed much in those years since everything first happened.

So he sat there with her, utterly unable to do anything. Maybe this was just an accident – maybe Naminé was just surprised. Nothing would happen, and even if something did, Larxene would be gone before long.

They could get through this. He would support Naminé every step of the way, no matter what she decided to do.

**/**

I would've updated this fic later, but c'mon. AkuRoku day? How can I pass that opportunity up? Shutup I don't care if it's not 8/13 yet in the West Coast this is me not caring. Forget California and stupid Pacific time zones. (and convienently forget that fact that I live in Cali...)

Hell, Axel even gets an (originally unplanned) cameo here! Happy Akuroku day, btw. :D I have a whole bunch of one-shots based on AkuRoku lying around, but most of them are based on Ke$ha songs and apparently unlike me not everyone thinks Ke$ha is the goddess of Jack Daniels and glitter. Speaking of unplanned, gues what still isn't finished? CHAPTER 3 OHMYGOSH NOT YAY. On the better news, chapter four is already 1500 words long...which is longer than chapter 3. Hahaha fail.

Seriously, the first time I tried to write it, it was a scene with Kairi waiting for everyone to wake up. She was being boring, so I scrapped it for a different beginning with her waiting for ROXAS to get up. That was even worse, so I gave up and was all "C'MERE NAMI YOU NEED LOVE" so I wrote a scene with Marluxia. Pansies, and Not the Sissy Kind is the best name for a flower shop ever. Admit it. You know it's true.

I love playing with the point of view. I really do. Roxas is all "oh god this town is asleep" and Nam's all "it's like a cozy blanket ^-^" and it's just great. They all bring something different to the table. and yes, I write my Larxene much nicer than your Larxene. She's still kinda bitchy, but she's not that bad.

The last part of the chapter practically wrote itself. Personally, I don't believe in love at first sight, but y'know, it works for this. I do like how it turned out, and I don't think I could change it even if I wanted to. I hope you like it too, and I need to shut up already so feedback is always appreciated.

(P.S. I'm in school again, and FUCKING BITCHES NEED TO KEEP THEIR WHORE MOUTHS SHUT-I mean I don't have as much time to write anymore. AP classes. Homework. Lots of it.)


	3. Rabbit Hearts and Lion Souls

That night, Larxene didn't leave Kairi's – her's, actually, if only for a few days – room. Thankfully, she wasn't that hungry, and even if she was, she probably wouldn't be able to eat whatever food they'd give her. Awkward atmospheres are the best way to lose an appetite.

That girl...Naminé. She looked like she had just seen a murder when they saw each other. Was she terrified of her? Why?

Larxene knew she was an intimidating person, and she used that to her advantage. While it worked for scaring off obnoxious, annoying assholes, the last thing she wanted to do was to scare a beauty like that.

She groaned, and grabbed a fistful of her hair. Sure, Roxas's girlfriend was undeniably hot, but that was it – she was _Roxas's_ _girlfriend. _AKA, the girl he'd been dating since high school.

Honestly, Larxene wanted to go down there and rip her pretty little hand right out of his, and then promptly elope to some far off-city with her in tow. However, there were two problems with that:

One. Larxene had been taught from an early age that family was the most important thing in a person's life, and Roxas was, admittedly (though she'd never tell him), one of her favorite family members. He was a genuinely good kid, and she'd feel guilty if she stole his pretty little Naminé away from him.

Two - the biggest reason. If she did steal Naminé away, there was a good chance that the girl would kick and scream and cry, because she had lost that perfect puppy-love boyfriend of hers. And the last thing she wanted to deal with was a crying brat, no matter how attractive said brat was.

There was also the (likely, the more she thought about it, regardless of sparks) possibility of Naminé not being attracted to women.

She sighed, letting her hands fall to her sides. Actually, she didn't know how Naminé would act – she didn't know her at all.

Larxene nodded, liking the new direction her train of thought was going. This intense, sudden attraction was just that – attraction. There was no mushy emotional connection, and Naminé didn't seem to be the type to act solely on a whim. She seemed to be the type to make a move only after she was convinced that she was completely and totally in love.

Maybe if Larxene got to know her better, she'd start to dislike the girl. What self-respecting woman would date someone as..._bland_ as her cousin? Seriously, the guy kills any and all joy or happy feelings within a ten-mile radius. He was like this dinky town personified – bland, boring, and kept away from the harsh excitement of the rest of the world.

As for that look they shared...well, that was just that. A look. That was just the moment where the realization that 'holy shit, she looks like a fucking angel' passed through her body. There was no lightning, no sparks, no shared connection and mutual desire of 'I want her' anywhere in it.

Naminé's knees didn't turn to jelly. She was probably just sick or something. It'd also explain why she was late – she was in the bathroom, throwing up. Maybe Roxas cooked dinner last night (he once tried to cook dinner when she and her parents stayed with him…she had food poisoning for two weeks after that), and Naminé's stomach simply couldn't handle that shit.

Yeah, that's what had happened. Larxene would get to know the blonde, realize that she's secretly an unlikable bland doormat, and once she left she would forget all about those beautiful eyes.

There was no issue at all. Satisfied, Larxene flopped down on the bed and let sleep steal her away.

And in the morning, when she woke up, she forced herself to forget all about the dream of a blonde angel beckoning her to come closer.

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

When Naminé came downstairs the next day, she came down with a smile on her face.

She had been lying awake all night, staring off into the window, watching the stars dance in the sky. Starry nights had always helped her think.

Roxas, his back pressed against hers, didn't know that she had been mentally combing over her meeting with Larxene. She examined every single second, picking out every single detail and running through it with a fine-toothed comb.

Nothing had happened. She had managed to convince herself that – that look, that lightning racing through her nerves, was just shock.

Yeah...shock at seeing a stranger in the house.

And even if...even if she...started to feel something (which she wouldn't, because she couldn't), then nothing would come on it. She could hide any and all feelings.

She would have to smile through it, like she was doing now.

Kairi looked over to her, and worry immediately crossed her features. She ran to her twin, and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay? After...last night?" She asked, releasing Naminé from the hug, looking down at her with concern.

Kairi had always been a little bit taller – they were fraternal twins, after all. Kairi's hair was thicker, she had slightly darker eyes, and she always seemed to glow with enthusiasm and joy.

Naminé nodded, giving the redheaded girl a large smile. "I'm okay. Please, don't worry."

"Are you sure? I mean, I wouldn't blame you if-"

Naminé cut her off, shaking her head. "Really, Kairi, I'm alright. Promise," she said, extending her pinky finger.

Kairi sighed, knowing when to drop an issue with her sister. She locked their pinkies together "If you say so..." She let go, took a few steps away, and shot the blonde a careful, worried look. "But if there's any issues, just tell me, alright?"

"Alright." Naminé finally slid into a chair, taking a piece of piping hot toast from the plate on the table. Kairi had only made a few pieces, but Roxas, Xion, and maybe…Larxene would be up before long, and once they were, she'd make more.

Kairi sat down next to her, nursing her mug of coffee in her hands. Naminé could smell the vanilla from her own seat, coming off in rich, thick waves. It almost made her want to try some, but she wasn't a big fan of caffeine in the first place.

Xion and Roxas eventually came down, but neither of them asked her about the previous day's events – Xion mostly kept to herself, and Roxas had already talked to her about it.

But that didn't get rid of the tense, awkward atmosphere surrounding the usually lively kitchen table. The others tried to talk, but everyone could sense the forced tone behind every single syllable.

Really, no one knew what to say.

Naminé was glad that she had to leave for work before Larxene came down, though. With her there, the already awkward atmosphere would have been ten times worse.

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

Pansies, and Not the Sissy Kind.

If there was one thing true about the name, it was that it was original. Seriously, who else could have thought of that besides a man with a head full of pink hair? (Thing is, the name was funny because Marluxia was asexual. Very, very asexual. Too bad every single person and their mother who saw him walking down the street automatically labeled him as the gayest man in the universe.)

Then again, the title also abbreviated to PaNtSK, which, when spaced out correctly, looked like PaNtS, K. It was a shame that Marluxia didn't sell pants as well. Not only could he bring in more customers by expanding his merchandise, he could also make use of a very interesting acronym.

Axel made a mental note to tell him about that idea.

He went inside the shop, silently reminding himself not to strangle the pink-haired guy for putting tacky bells in as an entrance alert. Really, who would do that besides little 80-year-old grandmas who ran...

Well, who ran flower shops.

The little blonde girl – Naminé, was it? - Was standing at the counter, eyes alert and focused as she gave him a gentle, cookie-cutter smile. It took her a few seconds to recognize him, but once she did, her eyes flashed in surprise, and she lifted a hand to her mouth.

"You're Marluxia's friend from yesterday...Axel?" She asked, gently tilting her head, light hair spilling down her shoulder.

He smirked. "Aw, you actually remember me! Glad I made an impression." She looked away in embarrassment, and he opened his mouth to tease her some more.

But Marluxia decided to stroll in at that moment, flipping his hair back out of his eyes. He gave Axel a withering look, and suddenly, teasing Naminé didn't seem like such a good idea anymore.

"You're back." Marluxia observed, surprise evident in his voice, betrayed the indifferent expression on his face. What, he just expected Axel to show up once and never come back? How rude. He would never do that. "What is it this time, Axel?"

Axel grinned. "I have good news, Marly. Guess who just became a resident of Twilight Town?"

Marluxia sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "...you?"

"Uh-huh." Axel let a smug smile slip onto his face. "Which means I'll get to visit you and this little doll every single day." He sent Naminé a teasing wink, and a bright blush spread over her cheeks like wildfire.

"Did you already forget what I said about flirting with my employees?" Marluxia warned.

"That I should do it more often? Of course not!" Axel replied, snickering. Marluxia sighed, but gave up trying to get Axel to stop, for once. Besides, he knew Axel was only teasing. He wasn't even all that into chicks – yeah, sure, he had the occasional girlfriend, but he learned more towards guys. And small, nervous, shy blonde girls weren't really his type.

He wanted someone with a little more...bite. Some snarky little bitch who he could butt heads with. (Because angry sex was the second best kind of sex, only _slightly_ behind make-up sex.)

"Wait..." Naminé piped up, blinking, "why did you ask us what this town was like yesterday if you already moved here?"

Honestly, it was just to he could have an excuse to bother Marluxia. He had finished moving into his new apartment a few days ago, and once he found the shop, he made up that excuse so he wouldn't get kicked out of the store. But, of course, he couldn't tell them that. So instead, he shrugged. "I just wanted to get my opinion validated by a local. I would go up to some random person on the street and interview them, but last time I tried, they thought I was tying to mug them."

Then again, that incident happened in Hollow Bastion, also known as one of the worst cities to live in. Ever.

Axel was highly amused by the fact that such a terrible, crime infested city had a sleepy little town in its suburbs. Then again, the shitheads of Hollow Bastion usually stayed in Hollow Bastion, where the cops were corrupt, and there was a crack whore on every street corner. (He wasn't exaggerating – the streets were packed with prostitutes and hookers every single night.)

"So you asked the only person you actually know in this town," Marluxia said, nodding. "Good excuse."

Axel gaped. How the hell did Marluxia know? Then again, Marluxia was one of those guys who could figure out what anyone was thinking. He was like a mind reader, but slightly less disturbing.

They were interrupted by those damn bells chiming, and all three of them looked back to see a customer come in; some blonde girl, clearly not old enough to be out of her teens, cautiously approaching them. She gave Axel a wary eye, trying to inconspicuously stay as far away from him as possible.

She probably thought he was some kind of convict, and Axel had to stifle his laughter at the thought. It would take a _long_ time for the locals to get used to him.

While Naminé started to deal with the anxious customer, Marluxia gave Axel another withering look. "Axel, since you're going to be living here, go find a job. Or, if you can't do that, perhaps you should find a hobby to waste your time with."

Axel raised a single, bright red eyebrow. "And why are you suggesting that, hm?" He mocked, trying to imitate Marluxia's haughty tone. Personally, he thought that the impersonation worked out well.

Marluxia gestured over to Naminé and the other girl, who was still shooting wary glances back at Axel. "So you don't scare off my customers, that's why. Maybe you can work at the local supermarket – they only have two other cashiers."

At the mention of the supermarket, Naminé glanced over her shoulder back at them, a questioning glint in her eyes. Marluxia sent her...some strange hand signal, disappointing the petite girl, but she turned her attention back to the customer. Once the customer had paid for a bouquet of daises and left, Naminé's curious look returned. "The supermarket?" She asked, looking up to Marluxia, hands on her hips and expecting an answer.

"They could use another cashier, in my opinion." Marluxia's voice was neutral as he looked at Axel. "The pay would be pitiful, but it'd give you something to do."

"I _guess_ I could go check it out, but only for you, my dear Marly." Axel joked, grinning. "Now, uh...where exactly is this supermarket?"

Naminé's eyes widened, and she gasped. "You mean you don't know?" She asked, completely surprised. Axel nodded, and she looked away, a thoughtful expression on her face. "Then you'll need a tour of the town. If you want, I'll take you tomorrow," Naminé offered quietly. "I have that day off, and it wouldn't be a problem, if you don't mind doing a bit of walking."

Axel snorted. "Walking? Heh, I don't need that, when I have a shiny new car." It wasn't really all that shiny, or all that new, but with a good cleaning it could _look_ as good as new.

Naminé flushed again, and whipped her eyes down to the floor, suddenly taking a newfound interest in her sandals. "Oh...I just don't use a car very often, since my housemates and I share one, and my sister uses it for school most of the week," she explained quickly.

"Then how about this – we meet up in front of here at..." Axel paused, trying to think of a time early enough to calm her down but late enough to let him sleep in, "...10 or so. Then I'll hand you the keys, and you can give me the grand tour. Deal?"

The blonde looked up, her eyes lighting up. "Alright!" She said, nodding and smiling. It vanished after a moment, as realization passed over her features. "Wait..let me give you my number, in case any plans change."

After a quick exchange of cell phone numbers, Axel left, waving over his shoulder.

Tomorrow would be fun. He could tell.

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

Larxene groaned, closing her laptop shut. The others, including her good for nothing cousin, had left hours ago, leaving her by herself. The redhead – Kairi – had tried to convince Roxas to take the day off to show her around town, but he was being a stubborn hardass and said that it could wait until tomorrow.

Jeez. That was one bad trait about the Hart family – they were all stubborn asses, including herself.

She had spent all day lounging on the couch in the living room and messing around on her laptop, but she felt so out of place and wrong. The last few months were a constant flurry of action, and people had constantly surrounded her. Spending a lazy day all alone was _not_ a welcome change.

When the door finally opened, she looked over to the entryway, welcoming the sudden change. Not that her laptop was boring, per se, but she was going a bit stir crazy.

Larxene watched the door like a hawk, but her gaze froze when she saw who exactly opened the door. She blinked a few times, and mentally steadied herself.

Nothing happened yesterday. Yeah, nothing. She had to remember that.

Naminé gently slipped off her shoes, setting them in the area they had sanctioned off (that was a first for Larxene; she had never met anyone who enforced a 'no wearing shoes in the house' rule before). She didn't noticed Larxene until her shoes were firmly placed away.

This time, their eyes didn't meet. Naminé forced her head down, keeping her eyes focused on a place that was anywhere but Larxene. As for Larxene, she found out that examining the fabric of the couch was actually _extremely_ interesting.

Yep. No awkwardness here. Just a normal encounter between two women.

Oh, what the hell. This wasn't normal at all. Naminé had felt...that _buzz_, that _spark, that whatever,_ yesterday as well. But Larxene knew when to take a hint – besides, hitting on the cousin's girlfriend was a huge no-no.

"Oh, hello. I...didn't expect to see you here," Naminé forced out, the words practically tripping over her tongue. Larxene glanced up, and saw the smile awkwardly taking up space on the smaller girl's face. It was as if it didn't belong, and was trying to escape.

The corners of her mouth twitched, and Larxene tried to smirk back, even though it came out feeling weak and tired. "Yeah, well, I'm kind of new to this place, so I have no where to go. I could have tagged along with Roxas, but dead-end jobs aren't exactly my thing."

The awkward smile faded, but what replaced it was even better. It was small, but genuine; Naminé's eyes lit up with it, and she giggled softly.

Larxene had to use every inch of willpower and acting skills she had not to gape. She didn't gape, thankfully, but that didn't stop her thoughts from ranting and raving about how that was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

How come Roxas managed to snag the cute one?

Larxene fumbled around for something to say. Anything would work; a dry quip, a joke at the expense of her cousin, a compliment, _anything_. But as soon as she found something suitable to say it slipped through her grasp. Naminé's eyes traveled around the room, trying to land anywhere but on Larxene.

The awkward silence was finally broken when Naminé gasped softly. Some sort of realization lit up in her eyes, and Larxene watched curiously as she pulled out her phone and started rapidly texting something.

When she finished, she slipped her phone back into her bag, and let pride shine in her eyes. Larxene raised an eyebrow, and Naminé caught the gesture. She let a small smile grace her lips, and began to explain.

"I have a..." Naminé paused thoughtfully, as if carefully deciding what to say next, "a friend who's new to town. I agreed to give him a tour tomorrow, and I just asked him if it would be alright if you came, too." She looked away, trying to hide behind a curtain of light blonde hair.

Though Larxene saw the light blush spreading across the younger girl's cheeks, even through the curtain. She couldn't help but smile at the sight. "Aw, aren't you just a sweetheart!" She teased, grinning wolfishly. "What did my cousin do to snag someone like you? Beg and plead? Pay you?"

She wasn't flirting. Nope, not at all. Just friendly teasing and minor insulting of her lucky bastard of a cousin.

Naminé's entire face flushed scarlet. "U-um, t-thank you, I think..." she stammered, clearly unsure of what to say next. Larxene opened her mouth, but the smaller girl's phone went off, and she pulled it back out. She flipped the phone open, her eyes scanning the small screen that illuminated her face. A small smile graced her lips, and she tucked the curtain of hair behind her ear, letting Larxene see that the bright red had started to fade away.

"So, I'm guessing your little friend doesn't mind if I tag along?" Larxene asked, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

"He doesn't mind if you're there, too. And..." She paused, awkwardly rubbing her arm, "I asked him if Roxas could go as well. I just thought that you would be more comfortable if he was there with you, since I'm just a stranger." She stared down at the floor, silently waiting for Larxene's response.

Larxene's heart gave a painful lurch. She knew – they both knew – that her words weren't the full truth. Not a complete lie, but it was obvious that Roxas was there to keep both of them in their place. He was a physical reminder of 'nope, nothing had happened yesterday. It didn't matter. It was nothing.'

Naminé was scared. Larxene could tell, by the way her eyes nervously darted around as she waited for Larxene's answer.

But why? There had to be something more to this. Naminé had to be hiding something to act this way. This was more than just nervousness, or a reaction to a simple physical attraction.

Something had happened in the past that had hurt Naminé, and Larxene was determined to find out.

"...yeah. That sounds like a good idea," she replied, her voice strained with the effort of holding back any and all emotion.

She wanted to find out, but she could only make one move at a time. If she dove in too fast, this girl, this…angel, would disappear before she could grab her.

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

"I…guess I can take a day off of work. I haven't all month, and I don't think Xemnas would be too mad." Roxas said, shrugging nonchalantly. Naminé's face lit up, bleak hope transforming into relief and joy as her smile reached her eyes.

"Roxas…" she said quietly, "thank you so much." She paused. "For everything." She shifted on the bed, pulling her legs underneath her body. Roxas stood by the edge of the mattress and settled for watching her as she continued to shift into a more comfortable position.

Naminé was a great actress. She took Drama for three years in high school, and always got a huge role in the plays. For the last play of their Senior year, she was the main heroine.

Underneath her pleasant mask, he could see the anxiety flowing, a steady current that never stopped. She never took off that mask. Sometimes it would slip, but never fall.

At any moment, that mask could slip right off. It wasn't a matter of if, but when; eventually it would become too much for her. When it did, he wanted to be there to help her, and there was a chance that the when in question could very well be tomorrow.

Sure, Saix would be upset when he returned, and he would have to put up with one of Marluxia's friends (and anyone, besides Naminé, who associated with that fruit was guaranteed to be crazy in one way or another), _and_ Larxene would probably get on his nerves, but he would be able to survive.

Naminé needed the support more than anything. He could put up with one shitty day for her.

"You're scared, aren't you?" Roxas blurted out suddenly, silently cursing himself for not thinking before speaking. He gave her a wary look, and while she looked slightly hurt, she nodded slowly.

He almost didn't realize that she was speaking. "What if it happens again, Roxas?" She whispered, her voice barely audible. Memories flashed through his mind's eye: tearful calls in the middle of the night, a thin hand gripping his as if he was the last stable thing in the world, the problems and complexes that he wished he could get rid of.

He knew that tone too well.

"It'll be alright, Nam. Don't worry." The second the words came out of his mouth, he regretted them.

This had happened before. No matter what he said, he couldn't change her thoughts. He couldn't change her past, and he couldn't heal the scars left on her heart. She was the only one who could change herself, and they both knew that she wasn't ready to yet.

Naminé shook her head, so violent that her body thrashed with her head. "No!" She screamed, her voice breaking halfway through. "It won't be alright, Roxas!" She protested, near hysterics. "It's not right! It's never right!"

He bit back a sigh and sat down next to her, pulling the now sobbing girl into his arms. She buried her face into his shirt, and he didn't mind as her tears stained his shirt. He stroked her hair, forced to wait until she was able to swallow this down again.

He felt so useless. It had been four years since the charade started. Four years since he had found himself neck deep in a situation far out of his control.

Roxas wasn't religious, but at that moment, as Naminé let out all of the emotions she continued to bottle up inside of her, he prayed. He prayed to a higher being, whether it was God or Allah or Cthulu or whatever, to help Naminé. To let her be genuinely happy and carefree for once.

And if they couldn't do that, at least send someone who could help.

**0 X 0 X 0 X**

Kairi shut her laptop, the sound of their printer whirring to life singing a melody of triumph to her. She thought high school was bad when it came to massive amounts of homework, but college was even worse. Apparently Xigbar (her Physics professor…for some reason, he insisted on a first-name basis) thought that it was a great idea to give everyone three days to finish a ten-page essay on the law of universal gravitation. While she _had_ been working on it since it was first assigned, she was only able to finish it after three straight hours of typing word after merciless word.

Her fingers ached with pain, but as she held up new paper, the pain seemed to numb away. Her eyes scanned the text, checking for any possible mistakes. When she didn't find any, she tucked her treasure away in her backpack and yawned, a sudden wave of fatigue rushing over her.

Ugh…how long had she been up, anyways? She checked the cable box above the TV, and blinked.

1 A.M. That explained a lot. On a normal day, she would have been asleep three hours ago. Kairi stretched, her arms feeling like cinderblocks as the muscles loosened. She started up the stairs, each agonizing step only making her feel even sleepier.

Kairi had a specific ritual that she 'performed' each night before going to bed. She'd go to the bathroom, wipe off her makeup, wash her face, brush her teeth, and get changed, in that order. Naminé had always thought it was a bit funny, and she knew that Roxas thought that her ritual was strange, but it was simply an ingrained habit after years doing those things day after day after day.

Even though she felt like she could curl up in the bathtub and go to sleep there, Kairi persevered, and after 10 agonizing minutes she was finally ready to go to sleep. She threw open the bathroom door, not bothering to close it behind her as she dragged herself down the hallway.

She looked down at the other end of the hallway, past the several doors that led to the various bedrooms. While the logical part of Kairi's brain reminded her that the stairs weren't that far away, her lack of sleep cast that part of her mind into a thick haze of fog, and she groaned at the thought of going back down the stairs.

At least the couch was comfortable.

She padded down the hallway, her heavy footsteps breaking the silence. The wood felt slightly cold under her feet, but the sensation barely registered in her sleep-deprived mind.

Just before Kairi reached the stairs, she heard…something. It was faint, and slightly muffled, as if someone was crying to cover it up. Curious, she took a few steps back, towards the nearest door – the door to Xion's room.

Kairi stopped, puzzled. She pressed an ear up against the door, straining to identify the sound within. It sounded a little like…

If she listened right, it sounded just a little like – wait, no, _exactly_ like…

Sobbing.

It was muffled, as if she was trying to cover the sound up on purpose. Kairi took a step back, glancing at the bottom of the door for any sign of light, but the room within was completely dark.

She wasn't even all that close to Xion – Roxas was the one closest to her out of the three of them, and even he knew next to nothing about the black haired girl.

She had just…showed up one day out of the blue, asking for a place to stay. Kairi had tried many times to get closer to her, to figure out why she came to them of all people, but the only answer any of them had ever gotten was that Xion couldn't stay at her old home any longer.

Xion kept a barrier up at all times, and no matter how hard Kairi tried, she just couldn't get through. If something was bothering the black haired girl, Kairi would want to help – but she couldn't help if she didn't know what the problem was.

Concerned, Kairi lightly rapped the door with her knuckles. "Xion?" She asked carefully. "Are you alright?"

Just like that, the sobs stopped, leaving Kairi in complete silence. She waited for a response, but when the eerie silence lingered, she took it upon herself to break it. "Xion?" She asked again, hesitant.

"I'm fine," came Xion's curt reply from inside the room. Kairi frowned, noticing how forced her reply sounded. She had definitely been the one crying.

"Are you sure?" Kairi placed a hand on the doorknob, gently trying to jiggle it open, but to no avail. It was locked, like it was every night (Not that she had ever tried to break in! The doors to their respective rooms were close together, and Kairi had accidentally mistaken Xion's room as her own room a few times before).

"Yeah."

Kairi shifted awkwardly. She wasn't used to people keeping things from her. Even Riku would crack and tell her what the problem was if she pestered him for long enough, but it was clear that Xion wasn't going to budge. "Well, if you want to talk or anything, you know where to find me." She stayed still for a few moments, waiting for a response.

She sighed quietly, realizing that Xion was cutting off the conversation on purpose.

Strangely enough, she didn't feel that tired anymore. Just frustrated that Xion could lock her out so harshly.

Secretly, she thought of her friends as family. Naminé was the only blood family member she could rely on now. Her parents were…out of the question, her other relatives were strangers who loved half way across the world, and her brother had disappeared off of the face of the planet when she and Naminé were teenagers.

But she did have her twin, and she had Roxas and Sora and Riku and all of her friends. They were her real family.

She had always included Xion as a part of her family, but she had never truly stopped to think about if Xion wanted to be part of the family.

Now that she thought about it, Xion probably didn't.

**/**

It's 3PM on a Sunday, and while I _should_ be doing homework and complaining about the shitty book I have to read for French, I'm on FFn updating. Because I'm just that much of a lamer. (Though I can still complain about the shitty book I have to read for French. Seriously, it's shit. The main character is all "OH WAHHH MY LIFE IS SO TERRIBLE I HAVE NO MONEY FOR EXPENSIVE CLOTHES AND MY FAMILY IS TERRIBLE EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE REALLY NOT I'M GONNA GO LIVE ON ANOTHER CONTIENT BECAUSE I HATE YOU ALL BAWWWW." That is_ seriously_ what happens. god I hate that book.)

Also, chapter 4 is not done yet. I am okay with that fact.

Now, about the actual chapter. I had SO MUCH TROUBLE writing this chapter, but when I was editing it, I realized that it was a lot better than I originally thought it was. Axel and Larxene are a lot of fun to write. As is Kairi.

I'm not the only one who imagines Kairi as a total gamer chick, right? I've always seen her as one of those girls who can go and hang out with guys and blend right in. Also becuase Kairi playing Halo and pwning everyone is the greatest mental image ever.

Larxene and Nam interacting was really awkward to write. It was just...awkward, and they both were awkward and that stupid little scene took me like 5 days to write. It sucked.

Random tidbit: I'm in Journalism this year (chooooiiiiirrrr I miss you) and I found the Editor In Chief's Facebook page. A group of her friends are literally called her "Fanfiction buddies." I'm tempted to friend her, and then tell her to add me to that list.

...Goddamn I talk too much. Does anyone ever read these? If you don't, I don't blame you. So don't feel bad, but if you do, review. If you don't, review. The 6 of you who read this, that is. xD


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